O Light born of Light,
Jesus, redeemer of the world,
with loving-kindness deign to receive
suppliant praise and prayer.
Thou who once deigned to be clothed in flesh
for the sake of the lost,
grant us to be members
of thy blessed body.

Programming Aids

Performance Difficulty:

difficult

Seasonal Usage:

Lent

Lauds

Memorial Services

Transfiguration

Descriptive Terms:

redemption

light

death

hope

prayer

Allow Excerpts:

Composition is a single movement

Composer’s Notes:

On September 12, 2001, members of the University of Tennessee Concert Choir walked into our choir room in a state of shock. Reeling from the previous day’s attacks, none of us really wanted to rehearse, but somehow we knew it was exactly where we needed to be. After warm-ups, we sang Morten Lauridsen’s setting of this text, which we had just begun to learn. Suddenly, the music took on a new meaning and ushered in a memorable hour of sharing, crying, and healing. Something about the line, “for the sake of the lost ones” stuck with me, and over the next several days, I developed my own musical response to both the tragedy and text that had invaded my life.

I am humbled by so many beautiful settings of this prayer and in some ways feel ill-equipped to offer yet one more. However, I continue to count it among my favorite compositions.